Relaxing Body Scan

Mindfulness relaxing body scan. This meditation combines awareness of the conscious breath with the body scan to relax both the mind and the body. It can be used at bedtime as it helps relax the body for a better sleep and it can also be used during the day.

Transcript

Welcome to this relaxation and body scan in which we will be using the breath to take us to a time of being mindful and using the body and scanning the body and using all of this combined as a form of relaxation.

This should take about 15 to 20 minutes.

You may want to lie on the floor on a mat making sure you are warm and comfortable,

Maybe even covering yourself with a blanket or resting your head on a cushion or a pillow.

You can also do this scan by sitting upright in your chair or on a sofa or anywhere that you feel comfortable.

The most important thing is to ensure that you will not be disturbed for the period of the body scan.

It is also advisable that you do not try and do this if you are driving a car or doing any kind of active work.

This is something that needs to be done in a quiet space for relaxation.

So I'd just like to ask you to get ready and as a symbol of getting ready we're going to hear a nice ding to just tap into our bodies and see what's going on.

That same bell will sound at the end of the body scan.

So I'd like you to start by just focusing on your breath and not to change the way you're breathing but simply by becoming aware of your breath as it is.

The breath is a tool that we have with us 24 hours,

Seven days a week,

Wherever we are and it is a very,

Very important tool to use for mindfulness to getting into a state of calm and relaxation.

So just simply focus on the breath as it is,

Letting any thoughts float away like clouds by coming back to that conscious breath.

You may notice the rise and the fall of the chest as you do that.

You may become calm or you might notice anxiety and that is okay.

There is no right and wrong.

Mindfulness is about accepting what is without judgment.

It's about being in the present moment and accepting what is without judgment.

So whatever is happening,

Just notice it and accept it and use that breath,

The tool of conscious breathing as an anchor,

An anchor to center the body and the mind,

Letting any thoughts just float away very,

Very gently like clouds by coming back to that conscious breath as an anchor.

And on the next breath,

We're going to breathe all the way down to the toes and the feet.

And in doing this,

We're going to feel the feet firmly on the ground.

And just imagine that the feet are like the roots of a tree being pulled down to the earth,

Being grounded to the earth.

And then become aware of your body,

Whether you're lying down or you're sitting in a chair.

Wherever you are,

How easily we allow the body to hold us.

You allow the sofa or the bed or the floor to just hold that body and become aware of the body,

The density of the body.

And you're still using that conscious breathing as an anchor.

Just noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

And letting any thoughts just float away by allowing that body to just sink even more deeper,

Really feeling the weight of the body and then just releasing anything that may be coming up.

And on the next breath,

We'll go back down to those toes and just kind of imagine you're wriggling those toes without actually moving them,

Just becoming aware of the toes.

And from the toes,

We're going to move up through the arch of the foot,

Through the heel and into the ankles,

Still using that breath as an anchor.

Just noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

And letting any thoughts just float away gently like doubts.

We do that by coming back to the breath.

Just noticing that breath and using the breath as an anchor.

And from the ankles,

We move up the shins and the calf to the knees,

Still using that breath as an anchor,

Letting any thoughts just float away by simply coming back to that breath.

And from the knees up the thighs,

The hamstrings to the pelvic area,

Still using that breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall,

Letting any thoughts just float away by coming back to that breath.

And from the pelvic area and awareness of the lower back,

And then upwards into the stomach area,

Still using the breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

And letting any thoughts just gently float away by coming back to the breath.

And just a little reminder that mindfulness is about being in the present moment,

Accepting what is without judgment.

And we come back to that breathing,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

And just being witness to the breath,

And letting any thoughts just float away.

On the stomach area and awareness of the middle back,

And from the middle back up into the chest area,

Really noticing our breath now in that chest,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

And letting any thoughts just gently float away like clouds by coming back to the breath.

And from the chest to the upper back,

And from the upper back onto the shoulders,

Still using that breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall,

And letting any thoughts just gently float away like clouds.

And from the shoulders,

We're going to move down the upper arms,

And from the upper arms to the lower arms,

And from the lower arms all the way down to the fingers,

Still using that breath as an anchor,

Letting any thoughts just gently float away by coming back to that breath,

Simply witnessing that breath.

And from the fingers up into the palms,

And from the palms to the wrist,

And from the wrists to the elbows,

And from the elbows back to the shoulders,

Still using that breath as an anchor,

And letting any thoughts just gently float away by coming back to that breath.

And from those shoulders up into the neck area,

And from the neck area up onto the jaw,

Still using that breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

Letting any thoughts just gently float away by coming back to that breath.

And from the jaw and awareness of the mouth,

The teeth,

The tongue,

Still using that breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

Letting any thoughts just gently float away.

And from the mouth up into the cheeks,

Onto the nose,

And then the eyes,

Still using that breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

And letting any thoughts just gently float away by coming back to the breath.

And just another little reminder that mindfulness is about being in the present moment,

Accepting what is without judgment.

Just coming back to the breath,

And we'll move up into the forehead now,

And from the forehead up into the skull,

And awareness of the hair follicles,

Still using that breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

And letting any thoughts just gently float away by coming back to that breath.

And from the skull,

We're going to make our way down to the ears.

And with the ears,

We're going to just listen into our body,

Just to notice what we might be hearing,

Still using that breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

And letting any thoughts just gently float away by becoming aware of the breath.

And still with the ears,

We will extend the hearing to just beyond the body,

In the room that you're in,

And for you to just notice what you're hearing.

And just using the breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

Letting any thoughts just gently float away by coming back to the breath and using it as an anchor.

And now we will extend the hearing to beyond the room.

Let's see what you can hear and notice beyond the room,

Still using the breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

And letting any thoughts just gently float away.

And now I just want you to bring the hearing back into the room,

Still using your breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

And letting any thoughts just gently float away by coming back to that breath.

And on the next breath,

Just bring your hearing closer and bring it to your body.

Still using your breath as an anchor,

Noticing the rise and the fall of the chest,

Letting any thoughts just gently float away by coming back to that breath.

And then just take a nice deep breath and really remember those feet on the ground,

Like roots of the tree,

Which are firmly on the ground.

Or you could be lying with your feet facing upwards.

But just simply become aware of your feet.

And maybe just wriggle your toes a little bit if you can.

And then become aware of your body,

The weight of your body,

Whether you're lying down or sitting.

Simply becoming aware of your body,

Noticing whatever's coming up for you regarding your body.

Still using your breath as an anchor,

With the rise and the fall of the chest,

Letting any thoughts just gently float away by coming back to the breath.

And when you're ready,

I will ask you to open your eyes and come back into the space of wherever you are with a reminder that mindfulness is about being in the present moment to accepting what is without judgment.

I leave you with the greeting of Namaste.

Namaste means the soul within me bows to the soul within you,

For we are one.

Thank you for taking time and more importantly making time for yourself to listen to this recording.

Namaste.

Reviews

Excellent body scan,well paced thank you very relaxing 🙏🏼🙏🏼

I love this meditation.... something about how she consistently repeats "letting your thoughts float away like clouds by coming back to your breath". I actually experienced just that for the first time ever. I've been meditating for years, but not been able to let thoughts come and float away without me attaching to them... until now!! Thank you so much!

helped me breathe through a very tough hip spasm for the first time ever I got through without major shaking

thank you! Your disclaimers e. g. 'don't drive' make me wonder if I'll continually return to this specific meditation, but I'm so grateful that you shared this! 🧡

This was an excellent body scan. A soothing voice, great guidance. Unfortunately some “underwater sounds” in the quality of the recording which I found distracting.
Would still give it five stars.

Wonderful. Well paced and delivered with an authenticity I found nurturing. Thank you Kish. I will revisit. 🙏🏻🌸🌙

Such a wonderful, insightful guided meditation that was so relaxing and rebalancing for my body and mind. I loved it, thanks for sharing x

Steady, firm and gentle instructions. Beautiful use of reminders to help me stay in the present without judgement.

Was relaxing and well spoken. With bells at the right moments

Very relaxing. Thank you.

Beautiful and relaxing! I drifted in and outside of soft sleet.

A wonderful meditation, thank you very much.

Nice meditation!